Spring Plantings

 Now that I'm living down here in Hampshire, I made a trip across to the Isle of Wight recently.  I bought some Elephant Garlic cloves.  I know they are a very mild type of garlic, rather like the taste of leeks, but I thought they might be fun to grow.  Have you tried them?

 The Garlic Farm also does an amazing cooked English Breakfast, and they are also dog friendly!

 Meanwhile back at home I started a new venture.  I am planting an asparagus bed.  This patch of ground gets sun most of the day in Summer so I am using this place behind the greenhouse. I don't need access much of the time so it will be fine. 

 I chose 3 different varieties, Gijnlim, Connovers Colossal, and Pacific Purple.

 Prepared the ground and added well rotted horse manure, some superphosphate and I used mycorrhizal fungi on the roots to encourage healthy root development.   I won't be picking a crop for a couple of years, so patience will be needed until then.

 Meanwhile at home on a rainy day, I ground up my dried chilli.  Joe's Long Cayenne, and Targu Mures Transylvanian Paprika.

 My tomato and chilli seedlings are doing well on a windowsill, and under some grow lights.  Time to prick them out.

Found this handy little windowsill propagator, so they are now happy in their new trays.  Varieties here, are Sungold, Golden Jubilee and Pantano tomatoes.  Orange Kilian and Joe's long chilli.

A New Venture!

 As the days are gradually getting longer, my purple sprouting broccoli is beginning to respond by starting to produce florets.

 And even the little side shoots are now beginning to show. So lovely to see the beginning of the new growing year.

 A new development for my new Hampshire garden, as I am on sandy loam soil I thought I would start an asparagus bed.  So I carefully weeded this sheltered spot behind the greenhouse making sure to remove every possible weed, then give the soil a good helping of my well rotted horse manure compost.   When it stops snowing here!! I will get the crowns planted.

I've bought some different varieties to plant, Pacific Purple, Conovers Colossal and Ginglim F1.

I SINCERELY HOPE THIS WILL NOT BE MY LAST POST!!!!  I HAVE JUST HAD A MESSAGE FROM GOOGLE THAT GOOGLE PLUS IS BEING DISCONTINUED AND ALL INFORMATION WILL BE DELETED!   I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO ABOUT THIS... BUT THEY ONLY TOLD ME ON FRIDAY THAT THIS WILL BE HAPPENING!